Panel board construction



H. A. SAME? ELE March 25, 1941.,

PAN OARD CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Shem: 1

Filed June l7, 1939 INVENTOR zayfl Jazzzer 1941 H. A. SAMER PANEL BOARD CONSTRUCTION Filed June 17, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Keir/ 31.14 Jami Maw 25, 1941, SAMER 2,23%,3M

PANEL BOARD CONS TRUCTION Filed June 17, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN ENTOR Jz/z ApiL/wr Patented Mar. 25, ig ii UNITED STATES ho an cons'rnoo'mon Henry A. Samer, Ludiow, Ky., assignor to The Trumbull Electric Manufacturing Company,

Plainvilie, Coma,

Appiic Qiaims.

My invention relates to what are commonly termed panel boards which include wall type receptacles containing a number of circuit controlling devices. Normally the actuating devices 5 are concealed by a door which is opened when a switch is to be operated or fuses are to be changed. The circuit terminals are usually concealed and it is necessary to remove the front plate to obtain access to them.

The main object of my invention is to provide a construction in which the terminals are normally concealed and protected but to which access may be readily and conveniently when desired. Another object is to provide ample opportunity for inspection and wiring. Another object is to facilitate wiring at the top, bottom and sides of the box. It is also desired to embody such features in a flush type structure.

Fig. 1 is a front view of a panel board construction embodying one form of my invention, parts of the framework being broken away to show parts which would otherwise be normally concealed and the outline of the enclosing box being shown in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 2 is a view of the lower end of the parts shown in Fig. l, the View being taken looking upwardly.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a front view showing a modified form of construction, the outline of the enclosing box being shown in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 5 is a view of the lower end of the parts shown in Fig. 4 looking upwardly and with the enclosing boX or receptacle shown in section, the cover being shown partly opened and a barrier partly displaced.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a modified form of construction, the cover of the box being shown open and one of the barriers raised.

Fig. 7 is a front View of another form of construction, and

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of the same looking upwardly.

The panel board construction includes a wall box or receptacle H] as usual with a suitable form of cover or front plate i l hinged along one edge.

" The interior mechanism will usually consist of a number of units such as H3, iii, Hi, each of which may have a switch and circuit protective devices of any suitable form. These units are removably supported in the usual manner on 55 upright bars l5, 15 which are suitably secured in accrporation of Connecticut tion June 17, 1939, Serial No. 279,597

the :bOX. Each of these units has its own branch terminals [6 and I! along opposite sides.

Other circuit terminals l8 and [9 are located at the upper and lower ends of the construction. In the form shown the terminal plate [8 is sup- 5 ported on insulating pieces 20 which in turn are supported by a cross frame member 2i secured to the side bars [5, IS. The lower terminals it are supported by insulating pieces 22 which are carried by a cross frame member 23 which is mounted on the lower ends of the bars l5, l5.

All of the terminals l6, l7, I8 and H] are normally concealed by a frame 25, a part of which is hinged at 26 so that it can swing outwardly from the switch units to disclose the terminals l1, [8

7 and it. The barrier member 2'! is supported by lugs 28 at the top and bottom which project forwardly from the side arms 29 of the cross bars 2| and 23 respectively. The hinged part of the barrier frame includes an upper cross piece 36 and a 20 lower cross piece 3! hinged respectively to the lugs 28, 28. The cross pieces 38 and 3! are connected by a vertical side piece 32. The upper and lower pieces 30 and 3! are provided with slots 33 and the lugs 34, which are secured to the cross 25 pieces 2i and 23 respectively, carry adjustable clamping members 35 which engage in the slots 33 to clamp the frame in the normal position of rest. The barrier frame also includes insulating cross pieces 36 and 37 respectively which are 10- 3G ca ted to normally cover the terminals [8 and 19.

A flange 38 extends across the panel beneath the bottom switch unit and a similar flange, not shown, may extend across the top switch unit.

The cover or front :plate II is of course nor- 35 mally closed and it has an opening which is normally closed by a door Ii. The opening for this door is just sufiicient to allow access to the panel board switch and fuse units when the door I l is open. When it is desired to have access to the 40 circuit terminals the front plate H is opened so as to provide free access to the barrier frame. By loosening the clamp screws 35 at the top and bottom the barrier frame may be swung outwardly so as to permit access to the circuit terminals I 7, i6 and I9.

It will be seen that along the sides of the box are gutters or channels 40 and 4! to allow for a frame iii within the box 41. This box is provided with a face plate 48 hinged at 49 and a door 50 which is hinged to the face plate at 5|. The main circuit terminals 52 may be arranged either at the top or bottom of the panel in gutters or channels such as 53. The switch units are provided with branch terminals 54, 54 along opposite sides in the channels or gutters 55, 55.

Barrier frame members 60 and BI are hinged at 62, 82 to top and bottom members 63, 63 Or may be hinged to similar side supports which are secured to the panel or in the bottom of the box. These barrier frames normally guard the opposite sides of the switches when the face plate 38 is closed. To obtain access to the side terminals of the switch units it is necessary to open the face plate E8 and then swing outwardly the barrier frame 06 or 6|, as the case may be, to provide greater facility for wiring.

In Fig. 6 a somewhat different form of switch mechanism is shown with a single barrier 65 which guards one side only of the switch units. Ihis type of switch is more fully shown and described in patent to Rowe 2,204,002, dated June 11, 1940, Serial Number 218,279.

In the form shown in Figs. '7 and 8 the box 8% is provided with a hinged face plate 81 and has space at the top and bottom for circuit wiring and at the sides has channels 82 and 83 for branch circuit wiring.

The switch units 84 in this case are of the type shown in Patent 2,204,002.

In this form of construction the barrier 85 for the left hand edge is detachably connected to the frame 86 of the panel construction and may have a handle 87 for convenience in removal and insertion. The right hand barrier 88 has arms which are hinged at 89 to the frame and handle 00 to facilitate opening and closing the barrier.

I claim:

1. The combination with a metal box, of a panel frame mounted therein, branch panel units on said frame spaced from the sides of said box to provide gutters, terminals on a plurality of sides of said panel frame adapted for connection to conductors having end portions within said gutters, a plate hinged adjacent a side of said box for closing the front thereof at least over said gutters, a barrier extending from adjacent the front plate when closed inwardly of said box to adjacent said terminals and extending along one side of said frame and units and also along at least a portion of each of the adjacent sides on said frame and units, said barrier being pivotally secured to said panel frame on opposite sides thereof and between said units and front plate with the pivotal axis extending across said box.

2. A panel board construction comprising in combination a box having a front plate, a panel frame in said box, branch panel units supported by said frame substantially adjacent one another with their edges which are adjacent the side walls of said box being spaced from such walls to provide gutters, terminals on several sides of said units adjacent said gutters for connection to conductors having end portions within such gutters, said front plate of said box being hinged adjacent a side of said box, said plate when closed covering said gutters, a barrier extending from adjacent the front plate when closed to adjacent said terminals, said barrier extending along one side of said units and also along at least a portion of each of the unit sides adjacent the first mentioned side along which the barrier extends, the barrier being pivotally secured to said panel frame on opposite sides thereof with the pivotal axis extending over the frame between said units and front plate, said barrier having along three sides of said units a portion of sufficient width to cover said terminals to substantially reduce the hazard of accidental contact therewith in the normal control of the circuits on said panel.

3. A panel board construction comprising in combination a box having a front plate, a panel frame in said box, branch panel units supported by said frame substantially contiguous one another with their ends which are adjacent the side walls of said box being spaced from such walls to provide gutters along opposite edges of the box, terminals on several sides of said units adjacent said gutters for connection to conductors having end portions witln'n such gutters, said front plate of said box being hinged adjacent a side of said box, said plate when closed covering said gutters, a barrier extending from adjacent the front plate when closed to adjacent some of said terminals, said barrier extending along one side of said units and also along at least a portion of each of the unit sides adjacent the first mentioned side along which the barrier extends, the barrier being pivotally secured to said panel frame on opposite sides thereof with the pivotal axis extending across the box between said units and front plate, the barrier pivotal axis being located adjacent the center of said box, and a second barrier pivoted adjacent the center and extending oppositely from the first mentioned barrier.

4. In a panel board construction, a plurality of associated panel units having circuit terminals along one end of each unit and at the top and bottom of the units, a unitary barrier frame hinged at upper and lower corners of the units and embracing one side edge and the upper and lower edges of the units, said frame having upper and lower cross pieces and a vertical side piece, each upper and lower cross piece overlapping an edge of an adjacent unit and overlying adjacent circuit terminals and the vertical piece overlapping ends of the units and overlying the circuit terminals adjacent thereto.

5. In a panel board construction, the combination with a box having a front plate, of a panel frame in said box, branch panel units supported by said frame with their edges which are adjacent the side walls of the box being spaced from such walls to provide gutters, terminals on several sides of said units adjacent said gutters for connection to conductors having end portions within such gutters, said front plate of said box being movable and when closed extending over said gutters, a barrier extending along one side of said units over said terminals and also along at least a portion of each of the adjacent sides of said units to cover the terminals, the barrier being pivotally secured to the panel frame on opposite sides thereof with a pivotal axis between said units and front plate, the barrier being pivoted adjacent one side edge of said units, the portion of the barrier over the upper and lower transverse side edges of said units being provided with insulating material to cover the terminals along the upper and lower side edges of said units, the barrier being adapted to be swung :away from said units to a position in which it extends outwardly of said box.

HENRY A. SAMER. 

